2 former Olympic taekwondo coaches accused of sex abuse

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Separate federal lawsuits claim that two brothers who were prominent taekwondo coaches at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado engaged in sexual abuse.

The Colorado Springs Gazette reports Steven and Jean Lopez were sued Wednesday in District Court in Denver by two California women who say they were either coerced or forced into sex acts with the men — one when she was underage.

Each woman reported multiple instances of sexual abuse spanning several years and multiple states, and their lawsuits seek at least $75,000 in damages. The lawsuits come after the U.S. Center for SafeSport found Jean Lopez engaged in “a decades long pattern of sexual misconduct” against underage athletes. Steven Lopez retired from the sport after the 2012 Olympics cycle.